VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 155, October 31, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficial and the Most Merciful

EDITORIAL:

Assuming the Global Ummah is one single body, the part of the body that received a new wave of pain during past week pertained to our Indonesian victims and the victims of wedding party who died in Afghanistan. From the deepest depths of our hearts, we offer our condolences to all the family members of the victims who died and pray Allah that their soul rests in peace. We also appeal to all organizations and volunteers to step up to the plate and do their best to assist the affected families that are in distress.

Prophet Mohamed (SAW) who emphasized on Muslim unity is reported to have said in a Hadith:

“The Muslim Ummah is like one body. If the eye is in pain then the whole body is in pain and if the head is in pain then the whole body is in pain”

PART I

A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS

Map showing the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake which that triggered a tsunami on Monday that has killed hundreds of people, plus the location ofthe Mount Merapi volcano that killed dozens when it erupted on Tuesday. (AFP Graphic)

VIDEO: Disaster-prone Indonesia has paused to bury victims of Mount Merapi's violent eruption, including an elderly spiritual leader appointed to hushthe volcano's restless spirits. Duration: 00:45 (afp.com)

Mount Merapi emits smoke as it is seen from Kali Tengah village near Yogyakarta October 26, 2010. Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted on Tuesday, the country's top volcanologist said, prompting terrified villagers to flee and join the thousands already evacuate from the slopes of the volcano on Java island. REUTERS/Dwi Oblo

Map of Indonesia locating Mount Merapi which has erupted three times, emitting searing clouds and volcanic ash. (news.yahoo.photos)

Map of Indonesia locating 7.7-magnitude quake
Map of Indonesia locating the 7.7-magnitude quake off the Sumatran coast on Monday. At least 108 people were killed and more than 500 missing, including a group of Australian surfers, after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake hit a remote Indonesian island chain, destroying villages in its path. (AFP Graphic)

Rescuers raise Indonesia tsunami toll to 343.
Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,right, and his wife Kristiani Herawati, left, survey damages on the tsunami-ravaged Pagai island, in MentawaiIslands, Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Indonesian residents line the trench as soldiers walk among the coffins of victims of the Mount Merapi eruption during a mass funeral in Sidorejo, Sleman,in Central Java on October 28. Meanwhile, the death toll from a tsunami that pummelled remote Indonesian islands is expected to pass 500, an official said, as questions mounted over whether a warning system had failed. (AFP/Adek Berry)

Villagers carry their belongings as they are evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Merapi, in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 26,2010. Indonesia's most volatile volcano started erupting Tuesday, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful eruption in years. (AP Photo)

Villagers arrive at a temporary shelter as they are evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Merapi, in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday,Oct. 26, 2010. Indonesia's most volatile volcano started erupting Tuesday, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful eruption in years. (AP Photo)

Villagers ride a motorbike as they evacuate their homes on the slope of Mount Merapi, in Pakem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010. Indonesia's most volatile volcano started erupting Tuesday, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful eruption in years. (AP Photo)

An Indonesian rescue team loads a ship to prepare for the evacuation and rescue of earthquake victims in Padang, West Sumatra on October 26. At least 108 people were killed and more than 500 missing, including a group of Australian surfers, after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake hit a remote Indonesian island chain, destroying villages in its path. (AFP/Rus Akbar)

PART II:

TRAGEDY IN BUILDING COLLAPSE IN AFGHANISTAN DURING WEDDING

Families of 65 people, almost all of them women and children, who died when a ceiling collapsed at a wedding in remote northern Afghanistan have been burying their dead, police said Thursday. (AFP/Graphic)

PART III

THIRD ARAB WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN TUNIS

First ladies of the Arab world pose for a picture during the opening of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

(Ed Note:
We are proud of below Palestinian First Lady Amina Abbas for continuing to maintain her Islamic identity. We need more women who are able to move up the ladder of leadership with increased participation in local, national and international events while at the same time maintaining their Islamic identity.)

Palestine's First Lady Amina Abbas
Palestine's First Lady Amina Abbas attends the opening of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarek
Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarek attends the opening of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Libya's Secretary for Women Affairs Selma Chabaane ...
Libya's Secretary for Women Affairs Selma Chabaane Abdeljabar attends the opening ceremony of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis, October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Lebanon's First Lady Wafaa Suleiman
Lebanon's First Lady Wafaa Suleiman attends the opening of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisia's First Lady Leila Ben Ali
Tunisia's First Lady Leila Ben Ali attends the opening of the 3rd Arab Women's Organization conference in Tunis October 28, 2010. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

PART IV

Women in Egypt Get Hi-tech Aid to Beat Sexual Harassment
www.guardian.co.uk

HarassMap allows women to instantly report incidents of sexual harassment by sending a text message to a centralised computer

A hi-tech weapon has been unveiled in the battle against sexual harassment in Egypt, where almost half the female population face unwanted attention from men every day.

HarassMap, a private venture that is set to launch later this year, allows women to instantly report incidents of sexual harassment by sending a text message to a centralised computer. Victims will immediately receive a reply offering support and practical advice, and the reports will be used to build up a detailed and publicly available map of harassment hotspots.

The project utilises an open-source mapping technology more commonly associated with humanitarian relief operations, and the activists behind it hope to transform social attitudes to the harassment of women and shame authorities into taking greater action to combat the problem.

"In the last couple of years there's been a debate in Egypt over whether harassment of women on the streets is a serious issue, or whether it's something women are making up," said Rebecca Chiao, one of the volunteers behind the project. "So HarassMap will have an impact on the ground by revealing the extent of this problem. It will also offer victims a practical way of responding, something to fight back with; as someone who has experienced sexual harassment personally on the streets of Cairo, I know that the most frustrating part of it was feeling like there was nothing I could do."

Harassment of women is believed to be on the rise in Egypt. The only significant recent study on the phenomenon was a survey by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights in 2008, which revealed that 83% of Egyptian women and 98% of foreign women have been exposed to some form of sexual harassment, including groping, verbal abuse, stalking and indecent exposure.

Contrary to popular opinion, incidents do not appear to be linked to the woman's style of dress, with three-quarters of victims having been veiled at the time. But efforts to curb the problem have met with resistance.

Although a number of draft laws dealing with sexual harassment are under consideration by parliament, there is still nothing on Egypt's statute books that specifically prohibits harassment – blame for which is often placed on the victim rather than male perpetrators. Just weeks after a series of sexual assaults marred a public holiday two years ago, Egypt's first lady, Suzanne Mubarak, accused the media of exaggerating the threat posed by sexual harassment, and concerns about tarnishing the country's image have continued to stifle debate on the subject.

"We have to transform the social acceptability of sexual harassment and open up a discussion about solutions," said Chiao. "Egypt is our home. When you have a problem in your home then you fix it because you're proud of it.

"You don't cover it up and hope it goes away. We're not trying to ruin Egypt's reputation, we're just trying to address this problem in a constructive and progressive way."

PART V

ARE IRAQI WOMEN OVER 35 FOR SALE THROUGH THE TRANSACTION OF MARRIAGE ?

Iraqi men may be paid to marry women over 35

womensviewsonnews.org

Jane Osmond
September 12, 2010

The Tehran Times today reports on a hidden cost of the Iraq war – the dearth of men available for women to marry.

Apparently this has had devastating consequences for Iraqi women who came of age during the war, many of whom despair of ever getting married, as they face serious social implications in a culture where single women over the age of 30 face considerable stigma and severe social limitations. The issue is so problematic that women’s rights activists have even considered offering cash incentives to men prepared to marry older women or take second wives.

In Iraqi society, women are expected to be married by their teens or early twenties. Single women in their thirties are considered an anomaly, and generally continue living with their families.

They are often unable to leave the house without a male escort because women who lack a husband’s protection are seen as vulnerable. Work opportunities are hard to come by, and these women are easily exploited by their families, forced to cook, clean, or take care of children.

A woman’s rights activist said that she cautiously backed the idea of cash incentives for men to marry older women, but also voiced concern, saying, “Women are not merchandise for sale, there must be guarantees of good intentions on the part of the men if we allow this to go ahead.”

Others disagreed, saying that the issue was structural, and that women needed to be given opportunities to create a career, rather than relying on marriage for survival.

I agree with the last sentence as women should never be ‘sold’ no matter what the circumstances.

PART VI

(ED Note:
There are number of ways that members of Global Ummah can help each other at different levels. There are lot of scams currently going on including those involving hi-tech. We found below article helpful and we invite you the reader to e-mail to us and share any additional information that you think could be helpful to fellow members of the Ummah)

BEWARE OF HIGH TECH SCAMS:

www.aware.org.
09/24/10

From Cyberstalking to Up-skirting – 10 Tech Scams You Should Know About

Yup – it is a scary world sometimes. Smart phones and social networking can be fun but you need to be street smart about the brave new world of instant information.

Technology gives scammers and harassers more ways to find their way into your life. And while some risk are gender neutral, in many cases, women are specifically targeted – be it for romance scams, or sexually related blackmail.

These are the risks your mother never told you about…

Misuse of Technology
The ease with which photos can be taken, copied and transmitted makes them highly susceptible to misuse.

1. Hidden webcams in your residence

Shocking but it happens (yes even in Singapore). Your landlord (or someone else) may have hidden webcams in your flat … and it may or may not be illegal depending on:

Where are the cameras installed? Are they in a common area or in the bathroom? Are you renting a room or the entire flat? – the landlord may be allowed to put cameras in common areas which you are not renting. If you find yourself in this situation, insist that the webcam owner immediately remove the cameras… and consider looking for a new place to live where you will feel safer. Consult a lawyer to find out what legal options may be available.

2. Blackmail with naked photos/video:

Of course it goes without saying that it is NOT A GOOD IDEA to let anyone take naked photos of you unless you are prepared to have them released into cyberspace! But whether the blackmailer actually took a picture of you naked or not, he could say he did while you were sleeping (say if it was an ex).

"The young woman contacted police on Tuesday, telling them she had received a number of text messages from an unknown mobile phone number demanding $5,000, or photographs of her naked would be posted online. She had also discovered that her image had been used to advertise sex on a website. – Straits Times July 2010"

Police have noted a new crime trend where Internet users are propositioned by perpetrators whom had befriended them online to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, and thereafter extorted by the perpetrator who would threaten to circulate compromising photos and videos of the victim. – Singapore Police September 2010

Note: Blackmail (“Putting A Person In Fear In Order To Commit Extortion”) is illegal in Singapore so you may refer the matter to the police.

3. Upskirting: taking a photo up a woman’s skirt

It just takes a second and it can happen just about anywhere: in the MRT, in a lift, standing at a crosswalk… we’ve even heard stories of students doing it to their teachers in class.

What should you do? Start by grabbing the perpetrator’s phone and yelling at him in public! Make sure he is so embarrassed it never happens again.

4. Cyberstalking & Harassment

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass a person or group. This can take many forms ranging from bullying between children to harassment of adults. The harasser can be a schoolmate, a colleague or even a member of your family. The bully, whether age 8 or 80, may make use of SMS, online chat, blogs and social networking sites like Facebook.

Cyberstalking can have serious repercussions: victims can become depressed and there have been countless cases where this has led to suicide. It’s not a joke. There are no laws in Singapore which specifically address harassment by electronic means however the stalker may be guilty of criminal intimidation. Check out the Singapore site: "Don’t Cyber Bully" for more info.

If you are being harassed then:

(a) do NOT reply to the harasser – you may provoke a “flame war” which will only make matters worse, but

(b) do NOT delete the messages – you may need them as evidence.

(c) Collect evidence by taking note of URLs and taking screen shots of abusive messages.

(d) When the abuse is taking place on a website, report the abuse to the website manager.

(e) Put filters in place for email from the harasser.

(f) If you are feeling depressed about the situation, get in touch with a counsellor… and

(g) if you are feeling threatened, consider reporting the harassment to the authorities.

ONLINE SCAMS:

Most scams are simple attempts to dupe you out of cash and are usually transparent to a seasoned internet user:

“Hi! I’m from Nigeria and I can send you 1 million dollars if you just send me a bit of money first!”

This is your bank: please send us your password for security purposes!

I’m from Russia and I want to sell you this iPad for just $50! Really! eBay A+++!

Sure you can spot them… but some scams are a bit more sophisticated:

5. ROMANCE SCAMS:

The perpetrators trawl chat rooms and other social media looking for lonely hearts to befriend. These charlatans are repeatedly successful at conning their online sweethearts out of thousands of dollars. Often the victims will not report the crime because they feel foolish.

"He told me that we could only be together after he had completed his divorce proceedings. His wife lived back in LA and he couldn’t afford the flight back. So I paid for his flight. Then when he got to LA he said he lost his wallet so I sent him a bit more… in all I sent him over $10,000 but then never heard from him again".*

These con artists can be very persuasive. They will send photos of themselves which make them look kind and attractive (the photos are just stolen off the net).

Some scammers even target gay people in particular because they know many will be too afraid to out themselves by going to the police.

* Told to the author by a personal friend. The money was never recovered.

6. Modelling & Acting Job Scams

These scams come in two flavours:

A scammer poses as an acting or modelling agent in order to find talent. He then offers to meet the aspiring model/actor in order to “coach” her to get a job. The victim is lured to a remote location and molested under the guise of giving tips in order to pass a modelling interview. The victim may be too intimidated to report the matter to authorities.

An “agency” offers a modelling job for quick money. After many promises are made, the aspiring model is eventually asked to pay some kind of registration fee or advance payment for a photo session. Then *poof* the agency disappears! Aspiring writers and other artists may be targeted by variations of these scams.

Don’t ever agree to meet someone off the internet who is a stranger. Always set meetings in a public place in the company of a trusted friend. If you have already been tricked do not be ashamed. These men and women can be very convincing and they often have a lot of experience conning people. Report the matter to authorities! These criminals will keep doing the same thing to others until they are stopped.

And remember that any offer on the internet that appears too good to be true probably "IS".

7. “You can be Famous!”

There are a number of companies that produce books and/or videos which they claim feature the most important people in their respective industries.

Congratulations! You have been selected to be in our prestigious publication!

You receive a notice saying you have been selected… but you must, of course, pay a registration fee! Similarly, you may find you have been selected to be “part of a documentary production” but again must make advance payment in order to be featured.

This is not strictly illegal if they do produce the publication promised… but what is produced may be no better than a few photocopied pages bound together… and they will probably encourage you to buy copies for yet more money!

8. Work at Home Scams

A company offers the potential to make a huge income from working at home without any experience… but eventually you are asked to pay a fee for registration or training materials. Don’t hold your breath for that first pay check because… it is NOT coming!

9. Buying & Selling Online

BUYING:

Was the internet invented just to distribute porn and steal credit card numbers? Some times it seems so. But what can an earnest shopper do to protect herself?

NEVER give your credit card information to any firm with a dubious/unknown reputation. Even if the company itself seems legitimate but perhaps small or unprofessional, if they do not have strong data protection, their system could get hacked into and your credit card details revealed.

Only deal with well regarded / well established companies, and keep one credit card with a LOW credit limit exclusively for online shopping. Do not use any of your other cards online.

SELLING:

Even selling items online (like through eBay) where you are receiving cash can be dangerous: once the item has been sent, the buyer can tell PayPal it was faulty and ask for their money back. Don’t count on protection from eBay or PayPal in these situations.

SHOP LOCAL! It is always preferable to deal with a local seller/buyer than an international one as payment is usually via the local bank system and you can identify both buyers and sellers.

Buy from / sell to people you know: Facebook has a market place where you can filter for friends and friends of friends.

10. Phishing

This involves using emails or websites to trick you into handing over private information – like your credit card number, passwords to you bank account or other private data that the fraudster can later use to “steal your identity” (pose as you in order to commit further fraud).

Banks and credit card companies will never ask you to verify your password with them. Neither will Yahoo or PayPal.

Always be sure you are at the official URL of the organisation you want to be dealing with…and not some tricky variation!

www.yourbanksname.com
is NOT the same as
www.yourbanksname.corporatepaymentverification.com

Is that Everything? No!

This list of threats is by no means exhaustive. Criminals are crafty : they will keep finding new ways to misuse technology.

Advances in technology have given us great new ways to record and exchange information. The internet + social media + camera phones = lots of fun and great possibility for creativity and collaboration. But the era of cool gadgets have come with a whole host of new threats.

Have fun but stay aware!

PART VII

ROMANCE:

(ED Note:

Love is one of the foundations of committed and intimate relationships. We would like to share below enlightening article on the science behind falling in love.)

The Science Behind Falling in Love
psychcentral.com
Oct 25, 2010

By RICK NAUERT PHD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 25, 2010

A new analysis of a collection of studies suggests falling in love is a quantifiable action, with the brain releasing measurable euphoria-inducing chemicals.

The meta-analysis conducted by Syracuse University professor Stephanie Ortigue is called “The Neuroimaging of Love.”

Findings suggest falling in love can elicit not only the same euphoric feeling as using cocaine, but also affects intellectual areas of the brain.

Researchers also found falling in love only takes about a fifth of a second.

Results from Ortigue’s team revealed when a person falls in love, 12 areas of the brain work in tandem to release euphoria-inducing chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline and vasopression.

The love feeling also affects sophisticated cognitive functions, such as mental representation, metaphors and body image.

The findings beg the question, “Does the heart fall in love, or the brain?”

“That’s a tricky question always,” says Ortigue.

“I would say the brain, but the heart is also related because the complex concept of love is formed by both bottom-up and top-down processes from the brain to the heart and vice versa.

“For instance, activation in some parts of the brain can generate stimulations to the heart, butterflies in the stomach. Some symptoms we sometimes feel as a manifestation of the heart may sometimes be coming from the brain.”

Other researchers also found blood levels of nerve growth factor, or NGF, also increased. Those levels were significantly higher in couples who had just fallen in love. This molecule plays an important role in the social chemistry of humans, or the phenomenon of ‘love at first sight.’

“These results confirm love has a scientific basis,” says Ortigue.

The findings have major implications for neuroscience and mental health research because when love doesn’t work out, it can be a significant cause of emotional stress and depression.

“It’s another probe into the brain and into the mind of a patient,” says Ortigue. “By understanding why they fall in love and why they are so heartbroken, they can use new therapies.”

By identifying the parts of the brain stimulated by love, doctors and therapists can better understand the pains of lovesick patients.

The study also shows different parts of the brain fall in love. For example, unconditional love, such as that between a mother and a child, is sparked by both common and different brain areas, including the middle of the brain. Passionate love is sparked by the reward part of the brain, and also associative cognitive brain areas that have higher-order cognitive functions, such as body image.

Ortigue and her team worked with a team from West Virginia University and a University hospital in Switzerland.

The results of the study are published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Source: Syracuse University

THE END